Process of distillation.



Patented Sept 15, 1914.

M. c. WHITAKER PROCESS OP DISTILLATION.' APPLICATION FILED HOY. 12, 1912.

' it may Y alcitize'n of the'United States', residing at New York, inthe countyof New.V York, State ofNevv York, have invented 'certain new and -useful Improvements inzProcssesof Dis;

. I tillat-i'on-,gfof -vvhichztlie following -is a description',- reference bein had to the laccom'pany- `in -drawings,-vformiriga' part hereof.=

Iy invention relates'to"thedistillaticn of Vwood' and other- 'substances and fparticularl y ed so that all of the material ltreatedwillv-be bro'ught: tof-andlimaintained at 'the temperature desired-@gitane` distilling; oi r the --xnor'e volatile substances resent'orfor driving loil?- the products: resulting'-frorn the destructive distillation; and so that the temprature of.

all partsof themass ofmterial' up ata uni-. formf-rate.;and;;thusprevent anyone part of the mass :from advancing in itsl distillation or.- ,decompo s'itionffasterV `than 'other vparts. .Byfattainlngtheseobjects the time required for producing successive Afractional dis-tillates andfor completing the 'destructive dis-f tillation is reducedandthe -yield of the more volatile--5and`-more valuable yfractionaljdstillatesjs increased lVfth tl `ase..-.objects. in view, invention,

` consistsf-in ,the-.process as hereinafterde scribed andelaixned ofcausing a circulation andjinining of ,heated gases within, a retort containingchargef of non-liquid .material 1n pieces' or fragments 4t0 ybe'subjectedto disi* tillation and heatedj-by any usual .means V suchgas by ',directaflreheat, the, circulation of a. heating medium about the exterior of the retortr. circulation of avheating medium.

within-the retort.: u. .v l It ,hasfbeenlfound that where a retort is i filled witltllbd und heated even by the cirlculation of a heating medium,-'by means of which a more 'equable heatthroughout the retort can be maintained lthan-can be done by fire heat applied directly tothe retort, the temperature at different points in the charge varies sometimes- .as much as degrees I[1`ahrenheit, so that in order that the products, which are driven off at a particular temperature, may be driven off from a'll Iof the' wood or oher coalmatter'which formthe charge, it is necessary to maintain the heatfor a long time at a very considerable expense for fuel, as unless this 1s' done some -MILTON@ WHIMKERJ GF .NEW i633 Yff 'fflrnocnss or msrinakricivf I .f

Y l y, 7,. 4 spuntano; of Letters rate-ne; .-15 Patented Sep Applieatioamea Nqvinbr'ie, '191:2. seriai'rrqj'laea if# part' of theleh'arge isnot-h te suffi to drive off the more voliit thev result that s'uchysub the Vpartjof the 'chai-g l proper heat,`are' driven goif-withthc le'ss volaL tile and usually less v'valuable substances ro'- ducedV by the 'higher -degreefofi'heat jsu A'sequently applied :is thetreatmentprogrese I toward the complete destructive d1st-illation';;",

And it has been found 'that proper, uniforin and controlled'temperature in the mass of the material treated Increases theyieldofthe more --valuable and more vola-'tile products and-pref` l `f sulnably .decreases theyield -Of ftheheavier, 7o

roducts which-result from the).`

less v volatile heat in certain partsof-the'mass advancing sofa-r astoicrackand decompose thelighter.v products as .they distil out,butheretofore itv hasbeen dicultto secure the -uniformityf 7.3

temperature. throu hout the mass evenfwitli A elfective control o the -heatapplied by 'reaf'z son of the fact that '.without the stirring of the gasesthe radiation from -thewalls of'uthe 'retortlmustbedependedfon to penetrate the so mass of material while by stirring thegases lin accordance with my.. methcdconvection' currents are set up'and the heat israpidly d istributed;

The drawing, which; is illustrative 'of 8.32l apparatus adapted for use in-.carryingout g mylprocess .and is not intended to limit the;

invention to the use oftheparticularappaf ,jij 'ratus shown or= to theQuseof anyparticularfvapparatus,.'is longitudinal. section-,-. p artly '9ST diagrammatic of a..,\vood distilling retort y provided with means forcarrying', out,the

process ofA my 'inver 1tion .',l

. In the drawing, 1 is a retort ;adaptcd to I I receive a charge of wood or other material .9a-,

to' be, subjected to distillatie-1 1, the woodA or j.

other 'material forming the -chargefbeing preferably carriedby cars-2. arranged to vrun on a track 3, the cars being referably pro;'

vided with end plates 4 of ak eight'sutlicint- 10c Y to oferfm'aterial obstruction to the. passa'gemw l of the current of gases asfhereinafter-de-I scribed, and thusservelas btllepl'tes."

5 indicates a' do'rni'nto whih/he volatlle,l

products rise as'the distillat' n procceds,f1 05 and 'from this dome a pipef l'ads to a condcnser..7. it.. l' .8 indicates a furnace for heatlng the retort from which the products of combustion' 'pass beneatllthe retort and are discharged 110.

through the Stack 9.- Other means/for heat# 'ing the retortmaybeused if desired..

t some convenient point the retort I "arrange'a fan-10V here shown as arranged to bedriven by a s aft v411and .pulley 12.' To tliemtake of the fan casing is connected a pipe 13 preferably extending along the bot.

tom of the retorta'nd haring its yopen end near the entrance end of theretort and tothe discharge opening off the fan casing is Y connected apipe 14 extending u ward nearlyi tpw'yard the entrance end of 'the retort.

tothe ,tol 'of th retort and nt lnear its.- lpper en 'so as tofdischarge in a direction In loperation after the chargeof the material to be 4subjected to distillation -on the cars 2 or otherwise hasl been introduced into `the retort andthe retort closed as the retort vbegins to lie-heated .ther fanlO is started drawing in the heated gases through the in-.'

Llet. pipe '13 and discharging them through thedischarge :pipe 14, thus ,maintaining a txoiistant circulation thus drawing ,away heated gases from the hotter 4parts of the 'retortand distributing these hot gases to the cooler partiof the retort, displacin the 'iati'm'eeausing theheated gases to circulate cooler .gases and forcing them. towar the hotte'rparts of the retort, and at the .same

sthrough lthe wood or other material of the charge. T he end plates 4 serve to obstruct t lie,(low of gases from the discharge pipe 14 to' the mouth of the inlet pipe 13 and cause the gases to form eddies and to circulate;

tluoughout thematerial ofthe charge so 'as to cause the material at the center of-thc 'charge to be brought tojtlie same tem erature as the-'portions on the Voutside o the charge where they are more directly exposed torarliation from the ujalls of' the retort. i

Byreg'ulating the heat applied '-tli' the retort 40 rand at the saine time,circulatingl the gases ingfthe retort the entire charge may be .i-ii'onght to the ten'i'pernture',desired and maintained at sncli'-temperature so as to effeet the driving off'of all ol the substance which is rolatizahle at tlioparticular tem- '.perature'.

It will, of course heainderstood that the "rolatilized substances pass of? in the form of vapor through the dome iand pipe to the "'5er'iiilerisei-7, andhit will 'be further uiidorstood that ii: the distillation of i'esinous wood to which the process is particularly applieable,'tlie charge will be irst brought yto a heat until substantially allof the,l turpentine is drivenotf, and the tem erature will'thenbe raised and maintaine at successively higher ltemperature to drive oi such fractional distillates as it may be found possible .or-.desirable to produce, ,the heat being finally raised to the degree necessary to elfect'the ldestructive'distillation of the wood.

-' n win, of waage, be unaerswod aia;- m-

stead of using the end plates 4 of thecars as baillek plates, other lbaie platesmay 1befused, for the baille plates may be omitted.

The process re uires for-carryingit out only a fan-with in et and outlet arranged at a distance from each other, and such apparatus maybe readilv placed in` position in any retort and will enable retorts which have beeii'abando'n'ed as inefficient or uneconomcal to be operated 'at a. profit.'

Having thus described my inven'tioinwhat I claim isz- 1. The, herein described process of distillation which consists in so char ying a retort with wood or other non-liqui material 1 in fragments or pieces in a container that space for circulation of gases is left between .the charge 'and the. walls of the retort and' the material is -kept from contact with said Walls, heatingtthe retort, and equalizngithe temperature throughout the chi'irge by. ineehauically stirring the gases and' vapors within the retort. l

Al. The herein described process of distil.

.. lation which consists in so charging a retort with wood or other non-liquid material in fragments or pieces iiia container that space for circulation of gases is left between theV charge and the walls of the retort and the `material iskept from Contact with said.

walls, heating the retort, and equalizing the temperaturethroughout the charge by stirring the gases and vapors within the retort by witlidawin'g them from one part ot' the retort and returning them to another pai-L thereof.- U l This specification signed and lwitnessed this twenty sixth day of October, A. D. 19155.?

MTLTON (l. Wlll'lA KER.

Ani-:Lr: Enix, Fminriuc W. Enix. 

